Should You Work From Home? 6 Good Reasons & Benefits

According to data from McKinsey, 87% of those who have the opportunity to work from home take it – many work flexible schedules, but remote arrangements are always built-in. If you’re being offered remote work but feel uncomfortable about accepting it, you might still be under the impression that remote working indicates laziness, disengagement, or a lack of motivation. But really, working from home can be the best thing for your productivity, your health, and your life outside the office. Check out these good reasons to work from home to give yourself the encouragement you need to make the transition.

1. Creative control

The best reason to work from home is that you get creative control over your own environment. Everything from when you work to where you work or how you work is essentially up to you. Your workplace can be styled however you want if you’re working from a home office, your head-down work can be conducted at the time of day you feel the most productive, and you can even work from a hotel, an Airbnb, or in whatever city you choose.

Ultimately, having this kind of creative control over one’s work environment is guaranteed to make employees happier, healthier, and more productive. The reason? It all boils down to one word: autonomy. According to the Harvard Business Review, employees want autonomy more than anything – they want to feel trusted, appreciated, and not like they’re being micromanaged. That’s why creative control is the best reason to work from home: it lets an employee just be themselves.

2. Liminal spaces

Commuting might be a time for some to begin thinking about their workday, but sometimes it can create frustration rather than alleviate it. You’re scared about being late due to traffic, you get road rage, and sitting in a car for up to an hour can create stress. However, having something called a “liminal space” to help you transition into your workday is scientifically proven to make the transition to work easier. And the great thing about working from home? You can create your own liminal space – free from traffic, pollutants, and the dangers of driving.

Meditating before work, listening to a podcast during breakfast, or rocking out to your favorite songs before work are all great ways to recognize and facilitate the transition into a productive day. And when you’re working from home, there’s no limit to how you may be able to conduct that transition.

3. Work/life conflicts

Another good reason to work from home is one that you might need to sell your employer on – the benefits of an increased work/life balance. With the ability to attend doctors’ appointments, have a looser dress code, and create family time during lunch or small breaks, you’ll be a happier employee. For managers, this could indicate a breakdown in productivity or efficiency. But in reality, having more flexibility allows employees to take less time off and treat work like a feature of their lives instead of a demanding environment that weighs them down emotionally.

4. Financial benefits

Whether you’re saving money on commuting, work clothes, daily lunches, or expensive coffees, working from home is a benefit to your bank account. A 2021 survey from financial services company Bankrate found that 57% reported more financial stability as a result of working from home. And with more financial stability, employees are more likely to have less overall anxiety and focus on their work with more freedom.

5. Productivity concerns

Managers have the idea that working from home is a productivity killer – but that’s not what the data says. Studies are nearly unanimous; working from home makes someone more productive, making it a good reason to stay remote. Anything can impact your ability to focus, from a busy, noisy open office to gossiping coworkers, impromptu meetings, or coffee breaks that you take just to kill time.

Working intentionally results in more strenuous work when you put your mind to it and more intense moments to cool off when you’re done. So rather than spending all day at the office because you feel obligated, spreading five hours of work out over eight or nine hours just to feel like you’re adhering to team culture, work smart and not hard by optimizing your time.

6. Your health

The last good reason to work from home is that it benefits your health. When you’re at the office, you might look a little funny if you get up and stretch, walk around, or do a light jog at your desk. But when you’re working from home, it’s all fair game. With fewer office snacks and healthier food in your fridge, you’ll also be eating better and eating out less, fueling your brain and your body to perform at a higher level.